The present invention relates in general to manufacturing lines for manufacturing heat exchangers used in automotive air conditioners, each heat exchanger comprising a plurality of parallel flat heat extending tubes arranged to constitute a rectangular mass, a plurality of outer fins alternatively arranged in the mass of the flat heat extending tubes and two header pipes connected to opposed sides of the mass. More particularly, the present invention relates to the heat exchanger manufacturing lines of a type which comprises a header pipe producing device which produces the header pipes by pressing or curling flat metal plates, a flat tube producing device which produces the flat heat exchanging tubes each including an elongate flat metal tube and an elongate inner metal fin installed in the flat tube, an outer fin producing device which produces the outer fins by corrugating an elongate metal plate, and assembling devices which produce the heat exchangers one after another by assembling the header pipes, the elongate flat tubes and the outer fins. More specifically, the present invention is concerned with workpiece handling devices arranged in the heat exchanger manufacturing line, which handle the workpieces or flat heat exchanging tubes for assisting the operation of the above-mentioned producing and assembling devices.
It is a first object of the present invention to provide a workpiece transmitting device which pushes down, one after another, the frontmost one of a mass of raised workpieces horizontally put on a table structure.
It is a second object of the present invention to provide a parts-mass compressing device which compresses a mass of raised workpieces horizontally put on a table structure to a desired smaller size by using moving and fixed plates.
It is a third object of the present invention to provide an assembling device which connects a header pipe to each side of a compressed mass of raised workpieces horizontally put on a table structure.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a workpiece transmitting device for use in a manufacturing line handling elongate and flat workpieces. The workpiece transmitting device comprises a base stand having a table structure on which a mass of raised workpieces is put horizontally, each workpiece standing vertically on the stable structure on one longer side thereof; a stopper positioned ahead of and above a front end of the table structure to provide therebetween a clearance whose thickness generally corresponds to that of the workpiece; a pressing member for pressing and moving the mass toward the stopper; and a vertically movable striker positioned above the stopper, the stopper pushing down, one after another, the frontmost one of the mass of raised workpieces horizontally put on the table structure through the clearance when the frontmost one comes into abutment with the stopper.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a parts-mass compressing device for use in a manufacturing line handling elongate and flat workpieces. The parts-mass compressing device comprises a base stand having a table structure on which a mass of raised workpieces is put horizontally, each workpiece standing vertically on the table structure on one longer side thereof; a stopper plate fixed to one end of the table structure; a moving plate movable on the table structure toward and away from the stopper plate, so that when the mass is placed between the stopper plate and the moving plate, movement of the moving plate toward the stopper plate compressing the mass; a toggle mechanism for driving the moving plate, the toggle mechanism comprising first and second toggle links which are pivotally connected to at their inner ends, an outer end of the first toggle link being pivotally connected to a fixed portion of the base stand and an outer end of the second toggle link being pivotally connected to the moving plate; and a power cylinder mechanism which has a piston stem whose head is pivotally connected to the inner ends of the first and second toggle links.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an assembling device for use in a manufacturing line handling elongate and flat workpieces. The assembling device comprises a base stand having a table structure on which a mass of raised workpieces is put horizontally, each work piece standing vertically on the table structure on one longer side thereof; two head members arranged at both sides of the table structure, each head member being vertically moved by a drive unit; two edge lining up mechanisms carried by the head members respectively, each lining up mechanism including a movable bar which is moved toward edges of the raised workpieces on the stable structure to abut against the edges to line up the same; two header pipe temporarily holding mechanisms carried by the head members respectively, each temporarily holding mechanism temporarily holding a header pipe which is to be fixed to a side of the mass of the raised workpieces; a parts-mass pressing board for pressing the mass against the table structure; and two header pipe fitting devices arranged at both sides of the table structure, each fitting device catching the header pipe from said temporarily holding mechanism and pressing the same against the side of said mass thereby to connect the same to the side.